We ask you the simple question – when was the last time you enjoyed watching a game of football? The Premier League seems intent on continuing their infuriating love affair with the video assistant referee (VAR). The action may be lacking from football at the moment, but the adventure can very much be found pitchside.
“The only video assistance you’ll be needing here is from your GoPro”
The only video assistance you’ll be needing here is from your GoPro Max Action Camera. Join us as we take your breath away by taking you on a journey to the most breathtaking football pitches from around the world (seriously, one of the pitches is 7,500 feet above sea level).
Russia (Meshchersky Park Pitch, Moscow)
Fun Fact. Football and green pitches are a match made in heaven. We owe a debt to the groundskeepers of this world who make them look so pristine, but let’s face it, a small army would struggle to clear this football pitch of leaves during the fall season.
Although this is one of the most striking football pitches on the list, totally submerged in a sea of trees, it would also make for an entertaining kickabout. If you wish to make a visit to this peculiar pitch, then you’ll have to get yourself to Russia.
This forest football pitch can be found in Meshchersky Park, a popular recreational site in the Russian capital Moscow. We can’t confirm if Putin spends his time here practicing his corners and set-pieces, but what we can tell you is that you’ll need to bring about 100 balls if you ever wish to finish a game of footie. Can you imagine the painstaking task of trying to retrieve your ball if you lost it? They’d get David Attenborough to narrate the whole sequence.
“We can’t confirm if Putin spends his time here practicing his corners and set-pieces”
We reckon English League club Forest Green Rovers should uproot and start playing their football in Russia. Meshchersky Park would be an ideal new home for them. However, they should expect competition from Nottingham Forest in their bid to call it home. Don’t be too surprised either if Queens Park Rangers try their luck as well.
Iceland (Hásteinsvöllur, Vestmannaeyjar)
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The game of football has given us many a fiery moment during its long existence. You can be assured that tempers flare on the pitch of Icelandic team IBV Vestmannaeyjar. The reason? Oh, it’s nothing really. Only the small matter of a football pitch being next to a living and breathing volcano.
That’s right, this Icelandic team plays their football matches in the shadow of lava and liquid hot magma (a truly scary thought). The island’s population of Vestmannaeyjar is just over 4,000, and is within close proximity of between 70-80 volcanoes – with the majority of these being active.
The island suffered heavily in 1973 with the eruption of the Eldfell volcano. It destroyed houses and gave the population no choice but to evacuate the area. But not knowing when they’re beaten, the town came back and rebuilt. In the present day, it’s a fishing Mecca and a noteworthy spot for any visiting tourist.
You can forget about football formations. This place is all about lava formations, and people travel far and wide just to get a glimpse at the show-stopping site.
Norway (Henningsvær Stadium, Lofoten)
We are not worthy. Should we kneel before this messiah of mud or instead grovel to the goddess of grass? This is surely up there as one of the most spectacular football pitches across all seven continents. The fishing village of Lofoten, in Norway, is home to the picturesque Henningsvær Stadium. A natural beauty that looks like it could have been handcrafted by Odin himself.
The football pitch doesn’t have a single stand or seat – mainly due to the fact only 500 people inhabit the area. But that’s not all bad news, locals use it as a place to enjoy a good kickabout, and it acts as a training facility for local amateur club Henningsvær IL.
The village has noticeable wide bays and sea green grassland that do wonders to complement the surrounding pitch. The Lofoten seas boast an array of different fish, with seabirds flying freely and nesting in nearby cliffs. The Arctic Sea in the backdrop is an absorbing sight that brings some Scandinavian beauty to the beautiful game.
To Norwegians, it may only be Henningsvær Stadium. To the rest of us, it’s simply one of the most stunning locations to play a game of football.
